between the president and congress as we face the fiscal cliff. he said at one point that the president is calling for raising taxes $1.6 billion. that's true. but i would call to his attention the fact that the simpson-bowles commission suggested that 40% of the $4 trillion in deficit reduction come from revenue in taxes. what the president is suggesting is entirely consistent with that bipartisan group's call for more revenue in taxes as part of our deficit reduction. the president's made it clear, though, he wants to protect and insulate middle-income families from any income tax increases, and i agree with him. we should not raise the income taxes on those making less than $250,000 a year. i voted that way in july. we sent the bill to the house. it sits there. it languishes in the house because the speaker won't call it. he has his chance this week or the next to call that bill on the floor of the house of representatives to avoid any tax increase on middle-income families. that's an important thing for us to get done before we leave at the en